"L. E. Modesitt - Spellsong 2 - The Spellsong War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

sorceress?" asks Tybra.

"I waited to see whether the Dark Ones and the Prophet were
successful in their attempts. The Dark Ones failed in four
attempts. The Prophet and his consort failed as well. We have
been able to trace at least two attempts by Neserea." Ashtaar
inclines her head. "I thought it best not to turn the sorceress's
wrath against Nordwei."

"So... now we have a strong and united Defalk on our southern
borders, and this is your doing?"
"We have a united Defalk, ruled by a woman for the first time
in recorded history, and a Defalk that will take a decade or
longer to recover from the drought and depredations of the
Dark Ones and the Nesereans."
"That is what you say. For now... for now, we shall see. You
may go, but do not hesitate to inform the Council should this
sorceress take any action that could possibly affect Nordwei."

"Yes, leader Tybra." Ashtaar bows a last time, then turns. She
does not wipe the dampness from her forehead.

2

THROUGH the scarcely cracked high window behind her,
Anna could hear the half-frozen rain clattering on the stones of
the liedburg. The entire keep felt damp, and even the small fire
in her receiving room and de facto office wasn't enough to
remove the dampness. She needed the slight draft from the
window to keep from being suffocated from the fireplace,
which drew poorly with small fires.

Sorceress, Regent of Defalk, Protector of the Heir, not to
mention being Lady of Loiseau, and she had to worry about
firewood. She hadn't thought about firewood being a
problem-but nearly a decade of drought had wrought
enormous damage on the once-wide forests of Defalk.

Then, there was so much that she'd never thought she'd have to
consider. She'd been trained to be a professional opera singer,
and fallen back on university teaching with the demands of
Avery's career. Later when he'd left her and the children for his
slim blonde young thing, the teaching, and several additional
part-time jobs, had become necessities. Anna laughed softly to
herself. She was slimmer and younger looking than Paulina
now, and Avery-the self-styled Antonio, king of the
comprimarios- would never know. Neither would Mario and
Elizabetta. Irenia... Anna's eyes misted. Her oldest daughter's
death had been the catalyst that had left Anna open to poor
Jenny's and Daffyd's spellsong-that had brought her